A stiff breeze with very gusty south-west winds ranging from 15-20 knots with occasional gusts up to 26 knots provided challenging conditions for skippers and crews.

The 20-mile course took the fleet from Hamilton Harbour out into the Great Sound with a windward leg to Grace buoy (located off the US Naval Annex). A fast downwind procession out of the Great Sound with spinnakers aloft was followed by a reach to Shelly Bay.

A flurry of activity was observed on most boats while rounding the leeward mark, as crews scrambled to reduce sail -- or wished they had -- for the return windward journey.

Alexis , helmed by Kirk Cooper, took line honours, followed 10 seconds later by Buddy Rego's Tsunami . Once again this year the fleet was graced with the presence of Faust , a baltic 51 from the United States, which crossed the finish line in third place.

In handicap racing, however, size is not everything and on corrected time Delphinus , a 32 Westerly Fulmar, sailed by Neil Cooper, was elevated to second place behind Alexis with Tsunami reduced to third place.

The next BOCA race of the Winter series will be on Sunday, February 20.

Overall results: 1. Alexis (K.Cooper); 2. Delphinus (N.Couper); 3. Tsunami (B.Rego); 4. Tonka (P.Hubbard); 5. Circe (F.Carter); 6. Monterey (L.Crane); 7.

Crew Cut (M.Finnegan); 8. Faust (K.Honnegger); 9. Temptation (C.Guy).

SOCCER SOC Forties, Spinning Wheel, Fire Service and St. George's All-Stars were the winners of the Commercial League Cup matches on Monday night.

In the A Division at PHC Stadium, Forties beat Island Rangers 2-0 on goals from Barry Hughes and Richard Bradbury while Spinning Wheel defeated KPMG 5-3 on penalty kicks after the match ended scoreless in regulation.

Ellsworth Lambert, Chris Furbert, Stephen Tucker, Cecil Robinson and Allan Fray were the Spinning Wheel scorers from the penalty spot with Stuart Drake, John Ingham and Eversley Lewis netting for KPMG.

In the B Division at BAA Field, Fire Service were comfortable 4-0 winners over Prison Officers with Ralph Scott, Shawn Grant, Troy Furbert and Steven Daniels scoring for them. A Cal Richardson goal gave St. George's All-Stars a narrow 1-0 win over Park United.

In Commercial knockout semifinal matches on Saturday at BAA Field, Robin Hood will take on Exiles in the 1 p.m. opener while Somerset Extros will meet Lobster Pot in the 3 p.m. fixture.

Alliance knockout semifinals at St. John's field see PHC meeting Dandy Town in the 1 p.m. opener and St. George's playing Boulevard in the 3 p.m. contest.

There are also two Commercial Division B makeup matches scheduled for Saturday. Fire Service and Prison Officers will battle at Police Field at 1 p.m. and Valley will tangle with Park United at Shelly Bay I at the same time.

SOFTBALL SOF The Bermuda Amateur Softball Association is asking the following to attend a special meeting at Warwick Workmen's Club on Monday starting at 6 p.m.: Yvette Brangman, Damina Casey, Dawnette Daniels, Laverne Jones, Valerie King, Deeanne Martin, Terry-Lyn Paynter, Rose Richardson, Rose Ann Wall, Antoinette Williams, Eva-Jean Smith, Sheila Basden, Beverley Burchall, Suzie Clarke, Deborah DeShields, Nicole Jones, Lenora Maloney, Gaynelle Pace, Deborah Philips, Tracy Sharrieff, Earlene Wilkinson, Nikita Trott, Anthony Mouchette.